Ever since Mohalla Assi’s expletive-filled, PG-rated uncut trailer was leaked online those who are associated with the film have been fretting over the release. But most of all it is Bhojpuri star Ravi Kissen, who is pushing for Mohalla Assi’s quick release as he is afraid that the Censor Board might shoot down the idea of releasing it altogether!

While Sunny Deol plays a pandit in the film (a first for him) Sakshi Tanwar plays a “good” housewife. Ravi plays the local loafer of Banaras in the movie.

About the release of the film and his worries, Ravi says, “We all have finished dubbing for the film. Only Sunny’s portions are left. He should hurry up with it and finish it quickly. In fact, he should push to release this film earlier than his Ghayal Returns. This film will see him play a pandit, and is very different than what he has done before. People have seen him play the action hero a lot of times. He should ensure this film releases as soon as possible.”

Well, we have to say that Ravi’s fears about the film are real and that for all we know, Mohalla Assi might not see the light of the day. What do you think, should the Sunny Deol film get released?

The makers of Mohalla Assimay have wanted to release the trailer of the film in a much grander way, but it has leaked and people are all going gaga over it. The film, starring Sunny Deol, Sakshi Tanwar, Ravi Kissan and others in a completely different avatar, is all about cuss words, firangs and fake gods. All these three co-exist in the city of Banares, which is considered to be the world’s oldest city.

Highlights

-The film shows the truth in the most raw form. Everything shown in the movie holds true and the way they have shown it deserves an applause.

–Sunny Deol‘s back! And with a bang. His new avatar may look funny to you, but it surely is as powerful as his Arjun Pandit days.

-The cuss words may not go down that well with the Censor Board and we are pretty sure that most of these words will get beeped out in the final film.

-Sakshi Tanwar has been referred to always as the good housewife, but this time she is doing something strikingly different. Audiences will love it as it seems she is mouthing some of the best dialogues.

-Talking about the dialogues, the overall punch lines maybe laced with cuss words, but are impactful, funny and create the necessary feel of the township of Banares.

-Above all, the location of Assi Ghat in Banares has been depicted beautifully. The film will be a treat to people who have been there and faced the real life situations there. The festivities also have been shown in a very authentic and real manner.

Wethinks had the makers decided to go on for a full fledged trailer release, not even ten percent of this would have come out. Everything would have been beeped out. It’s good that it got leaked and people are able to see the dark and raw side of the city of Banares. We love it a lot. What about you BollywoodLifers? Have a look at it and shoot your thoughts in the comments section below.

Ameesha Patel’s first home production Desi Magic got delayed because Ravi Kissen played the villain…. in more ways than one. The Bhojpuri star took off for three months to fight the Lok Sabha elections while Ameesha and her team twiddled its thumbs.

She says, “Ravi was stationed in his constituency during the elections. Obviously, he couldn’t shoot for us. That did slow us down. So did the fact that our leading man Zayed Khan tore a ligament in his leg, and Randhir Kapoor, who plays an important role, took off on a holiday”.

But she isn’t complaining. “We are in no hurry to release Desi Magic. We will release only after the school examinations and the IPL end. Our film is for an audience from the age of six to 60. As the name suggests, there’s a magical quality about it. The film has the innocent romantic charm of Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and my own Kaho Na…Pyar Hai.”

Ameesha feels commercial mainstream cinema has lost its innocence. “We either have the Dabangg kind of action films or the cheesy comedies that no family can watch together. We feel Desi Magic brings back the pleasure of the rom-com.”

The actress, who saw great success in the initial stage of her career has been going through a slump period. She is hoping to revive her career with DM. “A lot of our cinema today looks like an extension of television. Why would the ticket-buying public pay to see on the large screen what they already have at home? Desi Magic will hopefully revive the magic of the moves,” she concludes.

First things first – Mere Dad Ki Maruti is a simple film with its heart at the right place. Debutante director Ashima Chibber gets full marks for keeping her tale crisp and precise. Set against the backdrop of a Punjabi wedding, this one revolves around a situation in which a young lad Sameer (Saqib Saleem of Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge fame) from the well-to-do Khullar family sneaks his father’s (a delightful Ram Kapoor) brand new Maruti car out to impress the new college hottie aka Shakira of Chandigarh aka Jazzleen (played by MTV VJ-turned-actor Rhea Chakraborty).

By an unfortunate twist of fate the car is stolen and Sameer is in big trouble as he can’t tell his cranky father the truth and neither can he afford to let the car go, because the vehicle is supposed to be his sister’s surprise wedding gift. Confused and helpless, Sameer has only two people he can turn to for help – his close buddy Gattu (a very promising Prabal Punjabi) and the love of his life, Jazzleen. Will Sameer get his car back, or will the three friends do some jugaad to get a new one instead? To get the answer to that one you have to watch the film.

The story is simple and the narrative flows with ease, which makes this predictable plot easy on the eye. The director has portrayed the tale with believable characters and realistic situations that are acceptable, real. The intelligent-one liners and the spicy Punjabi tadka are firmly in the perfect place that makes Mere Dad Ki Maruti a good watch. The fine screenplay, good writing and excellent editing make the subplot converge easily with the core subject. Sameer’s endeavour – in fact, every trick in the book that he tries to get the car back – involving cops, local mafia and the young lad’s innumerable predicaments take just the right screen time. The drama flows with a pace that keeps you engaged, if not intrigued, and excited. Ashima keeps the comedy subtle and handles the project deftly without going overboard – not even in a single frame.

Ram – the enormous (in so many ways!) star of television – stands out once again with his portrayal of a cocky dad with a heart of gold. Saqib as the careless and irreverent Sameer gives a confident and commendable performance. Rhea has played her part well. But the character who is an absolute delight to watch is Prabal’s Gattu. His comic timing and expressiveness are impressive. Ravi Kissen as a bhai who is a car dealer adds an interesting dimension to the story. The music is good and the background score is in sync with the storyline. Mainsenti hoon and Punjabiyaan di battery are hummable.

All in all, Mere Dad Ki Maruti is a sweet, no-nonsense film that makes you smile and giggle in equal proportion with its amazing simplicity.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Reviewed by Prathamesh Jadhav

* Poor

** Average

*** Good

**** Very good

***** Excellent

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/mere-dad-ki-maruti-movie-review-an-enjoyable-ride/feed/4Zila Ghaziabad dialogue promos: Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi engage in a war of words in this action dramahttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/zila-ghaziabad-dialogue-promos-sanjay-dutt-and-arshad-warsi-engage-in-a-war-of-words-in-this-action-drama/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/zila-ghaziabad-dialogue-promos-sanjay-dutt-and-arshad-warsi-engage-in-a-war-of-words-in-this-action-drama/#commentsSat, 12 Jan 2013 13:30:27 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=179584Debut director Anand Kumar believes that the USP of his multi-starrer underworld drama comprises hardcore (read: raunchy!) dialogues in local lingo and some superficial action

The first dialogue promo of Anand Kumar’s costume drama Zila Ghaziabad is indeed entertaining. The movie is based on the gang war that took place in Ghaziabad in the 80s between two rival groups – headed by Satbir Gurjar (Vivek Oberoi) and Mahender Fauji (Arshad Warsi), which ended only when cop Pritam Singh (Sanjay Dutt) intervened. This Bharat Shah-Vinod Bachchan production kick-starts with Arshad taking Chandrachur Singh’s (who plays a military officer) case as he mouths this dialogue in total Haryanvi style – itni goli marunga ke bachche peettal ke paida honge. Sanjay Dutt is no less. Anand’s most favourite of the lot – Sanju baba – has power-packed one-liners like Yeh kaminapan mere siva kaun karega and the one where he warns Arshad’s character – Surrender kar le, zinda rahega. And guys, he does that with so much conviction!

Vivek doesn’t impress much, as he mouths the same ghisa-pita lines – Policewalon ki na dosti achchi hai, na dushmani and Na court kachehri, direct sazaa. The title track sung by Sukhwinder Singh is hummable. Besides dumdaar dialogues, the promo is also captivating for the superficial action sequences, what with the actors flying 10-15 feet high and firing bullets in total filmi style! One scene where Sanju lifts a local goon on his shoulders and throws him on the wall is still bearable. But we couldn’t stop laughing on seeing hunk Sanjay doing Matrix and Nayak-like stunts.

The underworld drama which has a rustic village as its backdrop and also stars Paresh Rawal, Ashutosh Rana, Ravi Kissen, Minissha Lamba and yes, Geeta Basra (in a sizzling item number) is scheduled to release on February 22. So, have a look and tell us, what’s your take on it?

[jwplayer mediaid=”179635″]

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/zila-ghaziabad-dialogue-promos-sanjay-dutt-and-arshad-warsi-engage-in-a-war-of-words-in-this-action-drama/feed/2Ravi Kissen: I am not competing with Ranbir Kapoor!http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ravi-kissen-i-am-not-competing-with-ranbir-kapoor/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ravi-kissen-i-am-not-competing-with-ranbir-kapoor/#commentsThu, 13 Sep 2012 05:31:16 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=142946For the first time in his colourful career spanning over 20 years, Bhojpuri film’s demi-god Ravi Kissen will be seen playing the solo lead in his forthcoming Bollywood release Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal. In a candid chat over coffee Kissen talks about his journey to fame, his films and why he thinks that stardom will only humble him

For an hour Ravi Kissen has been standing in a corner of a sprawling hall in a suburban Mumbai hotel chatting about and promoting his upcoming thriller Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal. The actor has already been bombarded with all sorts of weird, at times completely irrelevant questions by the frenzied television journos. But never for a moment has Kissen – totally decked up and overdressed like a superstar from the 80’s – shown any sign of irritation.

After an hour of interaction with the media, he settles down to enjoy his cup of coffee. We are surprised to see that the man who is so hysterical with his over-the-top on-screen characters can actually be so calm and collected. “When you struggle in life and make it on your own terms, when you know that you have no godfather and your talent is your only credential in this fast-paced city, you do what you can in the best possible way. You tend to make the result irrelevant. I think that calms you. Also, I have inherited this calmness from my father. And one learns a lot about various facts of life – then you become focused and calm,” he insists.

Ever-growing stardom

“Stardom is temporary and it can’t spoil me. I know the truth – that it will go away one day. Success should not spoil anybody. We have seen the biggest stars getting caught in the trappings of so-called stardom. We have seen them fading away and being forgotten. Stardom is a temporary thing. If it goes to your head, you start giving in to vices like alcoholism and doing drugs. It happens with the biggest stars, not just from our film industry, but also in Hollywood. I think we should learn from the mistakes of yesteryear’s superstars. It’s normal to go away and be forgotten. What is important is to be true to yourself. You will go mad if you act like a star when the camera is not on. You can’t act 24/7. That would be a foolish and even a dangerous thing to do. You need time to unwind to be your true self.”

On Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal

“I think it was the script of the film that attracted me to this project. It is very dark, solid, yet very humane. I think the character I am playing in this film – Chandrabhan – pulled me to this project. Chandrabhan is a contract killer. He falls in love with a girl he’s on a mission to bump off. I liked the complexities of my character. The rustic nature of the film seduced me completely!”

Gaalis are good

“Oh, we have so many bad words and gaalis in our film Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal!. Though it’s not a deliberate effort, we are using gaalis just to show how a certain sect of people functions in society. How they talk and behave. I think expletives and gaalis are used to convey angst, frustration and depression. It is an emotional outlet. Aam zindagi main hum sab gaali dete hain. Zindagi jhandva phir bhi ghamandvaa – the famous line from one of my films was a gaali of sorts. Why create hoopla about it when we all use bad words so regularly?”

Dance and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5

Jhalak was an experience of a lifetime. I am fortunate to have got the platform where I could be myself, dance the way I do and yet be a winner in the hearts of my fans. The different styles of dance I learnt on the show will come into play in the item songs I will do in my forthcoming films.”

I am doing a song called Palangtod jawaani in JHTTD. This song may sound like Halkat jawaani, but it is different. I break palangs (beds) with my jawaani (youthfulness). In short, this song is explosive because of my jawaani, Halkat jawaani has no threat or competition from our dhamakedar Palangtod jawaani. My audience is completely different from that of Kareena’s. Some songs are classy, some are massy – I don’t know how to differentiate them, but I know that the market and demands differ for different products.”

On being choosey

“Yes, things have changed. Now I can say NO. Earlier, survival was important. Now after 20 years, I get the liberty to choose the work that interests me. There’s a definite process now. I don’t want to repeat myself. I get offers from reality shows, from Bollywood, regional films. This year I am also doing a Marathi film. Now the quality of scripts matters more than ever before.”

Competing with Barfi!?

“No competition with Barfi!whatsoever! We are not here to fight. I am in my own space. I don’t need to compete with Ranbir (Kapoor). Many people are also curious to know that why we are releasing Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal on the same date as Ranbir Kapoor’s much-talked about film Barfi!. I think good films sell. There are only two types of films – good or bad. No other categorisation works – classy or massy, small budget or big budget, commercial or parallel cinema. If your film is interesting intellectually and entertaining, it will sell.”

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ravi-kissen-i-am-not-competing-with-ranbir-kapoor/feed/3Ravi Kissen: Kareena Kapoor’s Halkat jawaani has no competition from my Palangtod jawaanihttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ravi-kissen-kareena-kapoors-halkat-jawaani-has-no-competition-from-my-palangtod-jawaani/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/ravi-kissen-kareena-kapoors-halkat-jawaani-has-no-competition-from-my-palangtod-jawaani/#respondTue, 11 Sep 2012 11:59:49 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=142358The Bhojpuri superstar is equipped with some seductive dance moves thanks to his stint with the reality dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5. Ravi Kissen will soon be seen showing his more colourful side in an item number titled Palangtod jawaani in his upcoming film Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal

We caught up with Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kissen in a suburban hotel in Mumbai yesterday. The man was at his glitziest best, wearing a snug flashy tee and black jeans. The jazzy ensemble was completed with his equally gaudy sunglasses that Kissen struggled to keep mounted on his nose. “You will see me in a never-seen-before avatar in my forthcoming release Jeena Hain Toh Thok Daal. This film has it what it takes to be a success at the box office. It has drama, dance and lots of gaalis. In fact, the film has a special item number too called Palangtod jawaani and you will see me having total dhamaal in this song,” says Kissen.

Palangtod jawaani? The number seems to have found plenty of inspiration from Kareena Kapoor’s Halkat jawaani from Heroine– the song is making waves everywhere these days. So is Ravi Kissen all set to give Bebo a run for her money with his ‘item’ song? “No way! Halkat jawaani has no threat or competition from our dhamakedarPalangtod jawaani. My audience is completely different from that of Kareena’s. Some songs are classy, some are massy – I don’t know how to differentiate them, but I know that the market and demands differ for different products,” explains Kissen.

While Heroine’s item song has not gone down too well with veteran music composers and singers – apparently because of the use of the ‘bad’ word Halkat in it – Kissen is ready with his similar sounding dance number. But what does Ravi’s Palangtod jawaani actually mean? We ask and the man has a quick reply: “I break palangs (beds) with my jawaani (youthfulness). In short, this song is explosive because of my jawaani,” the Bhojpuri superstar insists.

Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan is the latest to be voted out of popular dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5. The actor, along with his choreographer Kunjan, tried to put his best foot forward by trying various dance forms like Bollywood, tango and salsa.One of his impressive acts was when he dressed up like yesteryear dancing diva Vyjayanthimala and grooved to popular song Hoton pe aisi baat from 1967 film Jewel Thief.

But their attempts failed to keep him in the competition as he was voted out of the show Saturday night. The decision was jointly based on audience voting as well as judges’ marks and feedback.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/jhalak-dikhhla-jaa-5-ravi-kishan-evicted/feed/1AGENT VINOD: All you need to know about the filmhttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/agent-vinod-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-film/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/agent-vinod-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-film/#commentsWed, 21 Mar 2012 06:26:10 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=88371

Click for videos, pics, gossip and interviews

The story begins with a series of seemingly unconnected events, all over the globe. In Uzbekistan, an Ex-KCG officer is tortured and murdered. In Cape Town, a group of international business tycoons discuss a rumor that the dead KCB officer had a nuclear suitcase bomb hidden away. In Moscow, an Indian secret agent is exposed. The agent is shot dead while trying to send a code red message to the country. In India, the head of RAW sees the incomplete message, which has only number 242. To solve the mystery, Agent Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) springs into action. He has a relatively different way of solving cases, which often puts him into dangerous circumstances, but he still manages to get crucial leads. He is sent to Moscow to investigate why his colleague was killed, where he comes to know that a Russian money launderer called Abu Nazar (Ram Kapoor) has sent $58 million to a contact in Morocco, for an operation against India. He immediately jets off to Morocco, where he bumps into Mafidsi Kazan (Prem Chopra) and Dr Ruby (Kareena Kapoor). Kazan is part Greek, part Moroccan, and part Indian. He is a ruthless man running the drug trade in the Mediterranean. A series of twists and turns take Vinod across the globe from Marrakech in Morocco to Riga in Latvia, Karachi, Delhi and finally London, where he discovers the ultimate conspiracy.

]]>http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/agent-vinod-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-film/feed/1JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA 5 review: Entertaining, but don’t expect any serious dancinghttp://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/jhalak-dikhhla-jaa-5-review-entertaining-but-dont-expect-any-serious-dancing/
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/jhalak-dikhhla-jaa-5-review-entertaining-but-dont-expect-any-serious-dancing/#commentsWed, 20 Jun 2012 05:19:14 +0000http://www.bollywoodlife.com/?p=115192The first episode of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 was a delight to watch. From celebs with two left feet to stars who simply enjoy grooving, every contestant on the show was seen having a blast

Apart from Manish Paul’s horrid jokes, we could endure everything and everybody else on the show. And if at one point we were fascinated with Madhuri Dixit’s graceful dancing, the very next moment Archana Vijaya disappointed us with her clumsy moves. No doubt Ms Vijaya is extremely hot, but we think the babe needs to hone her dancing skills big time. Talking about honing, Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya needs to work really hard on the way he grooves. But, there’s something very cute about the sportsman that might give him the edge over the other participants in the future. And the best part is that his choreographer didn’t complicate the whole act with complex moves and instead chose a song with fast-paced beats, which kept the audience and the judges hooked from start to end.

Isha Sharvani stuck to her comfort zone as she exhibited her aerial moves perfectly. And when it was judgment time, Karan Johar made sure to convey to her that she needs to be more versatile in the upcoming episodes. Madhuri didn’t let go the opportunity of making a gag about Salman’s (Sherwani’s choreographer) luck with the girls he has to train. So while last season it was Yana Gupta, this year the talented dancer has the hot Isha as his partner.

Ghazal singer Talat Aziz put us to sleep with his boring ballroom moves. But when he started crooning an intense number from Umrao Jaan, he got undivided attention from everybody around.

KBC 5 winner Sushil Kumar was the mysterious 13th contestant on the show. Claiming that he’s on this platform to learn dancing and not to compete with anyone, Sushil entertained us by prancing around to a rustic Bihari number from Gangs of Wasseypur. This hardcore Ravi Kissen acolyte made sure he paid homage to his idol by muttering praises in his mother tongue, Bhojpuri.

Darsheel Safary and his partner Avneet Kaur were flawless and their cute robotic moves left us awestruck and yearning for more. While Karan Johar seemed mighty impressed with his fave aunty Jayati Bhatia’s performance, comedian Bharthi Singh made sure she left no stone unturned in wooing the love of her life, Remo D’Souza.

Amidst the smarties and hotties, the two delicate darlings Pratyusha Banerjee and Giaa Manek’s choreographers made sure they cashed in on their partners’ uber-feminine style. So while the two quite successfully managed to impress the judges with their decent dancing acts, we wonder if these softies will be able to cope up with the pressing demands of the show increasing with every passing day.

All in all, it’s a show filled with some crazy participants, funny hosts and spontaneous judges and we wonder if there will be any scope of getting bored in the future. It’s sure to keep you on tenterhooks till the end, as long as the acts don’t get repetitive and the judges don’t start blabbering rubbish, of course!